Parfums de Nicolai: 15 posts

I have a love and hate relationship with summer. I wilt in the heat, my hair becomes unmanageable thanks to the humidity and my skin burns within seconds. The bronzed summer look with glistening lips that heralds the July editions of fashion magazines all over the world is unachievable for me. On the other hand, I love the balmy feel of warm summer evenings, when the soft breeze caresses your face and plays with your hair. A good matte finish sunscreen, Wella mousse and Mineral Veil powder is what I rely on to go from morning to evening without looking overly disheveled, but I also like to keep a small atomizer of perfume that can likewise bridge the heat of the summer day and the languor of the evening.

It’s hard to go wrong with a great citrus cologne, but sometimes you want a perfume that lingers longer, while retaining a pleasant freshness to cool you down. That’s the category of perfumes in which Parfums de Nicolaï L’Eau à la Folie fits perfectly–a blend of citrus and tropical fruits with a drydown of jasmine and moss.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Graceful and delicate, Weekend à Deauville is tied along with Odalisque and Le Temps d’une Fête as one of my Parfums de Nicolaï favorites. The fact that I cannot decide simply proves how much I enjoy the offerings from this perfume house. I love how perfumer Patricia Nicolaï expresses classical themes in a modern form. Weekend à Deauville is a particularly nice example of her signature—a salty-sweet composition of lily of the valley and leather.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Among the ever growing niche area of the fragrance market, I would not hesitate to name Parfums de Nicolaï as one of the best. Created by talented perfumer Patricia de Nicolaï, the collection contains some of the most memorable fragrances available today. The dreamy darkness of Sacrebleu, the exquisite gracefulness of Le Temps d’une Fête, or the moody elegance of New York speak of its creator’s original vision and her ability to marry modern themes with classical forms. My favorite Nicolaï fragrance is Odalisque, which despite its name does not advertise its seductive nature. Rather, Odalisque beguiles with its striking combination of fragility and strength.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

There is something exhilarating and uplifting about the green notes. A whiff of crushed leaves, mowed grass or of minced herbs—and suddenly the breath of spring itself envelops you, making you feel giddy. Yet, strong verdant accords in fragrances are notoriously difficult to weave in such a way that the perfume maintains its effervescent quality without being overly sharp and aggressive. Therefore, most fragrances interpret the idea of verdancy in a rather tame manner, using the green accords as mere accents. Le Temps d’une Fête by Parfums de Nicolaï comes as a pleasant surprise—a sophisticated fragrance that presents a vibrant green theme, yet retaining a plush, caressing quality on the skin. It has the bold character of Balmain Vent Vert, while it wears as elegantly as Guerlain Chamade.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

As much as I like Parfums de Nicolaï fragrances, from the vanilla turned into sultry darkness that is SacreBleu to the warm mulled wine tartness of Pour Homme, I have to admit that a few pose a frustrating dilemma—they smell far better on paper than they do on skin. The issue is not so much a matter of body chemistry, but rather that the warmth of the skin accelerates their development, forcing evaporation to occur quicker than one would have wished. My biggest disappointment of late is Mimosaïque—on the blotter, it opens up with a green milky almond tinged mimosa that recalls vintage Caron Farnesiana. On the skin, one enjoys fifteen minutes of mimosa glory before one is left with a sharp, thin musk redolent of inexpensive shampoo. The fact that the bottle resembles a hair care container does not help matters much. …

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